New Life
by Tuesday7
Summary: Claire and West discover the truth about the company and meet the other heroes along the way. Takes place in season 2.
1. Chapter 1  Normal

New Life

Summary: ClaireWest fic that takes place during season 2. They seek out the truth about the company and meet the other heroes in the process.

Chapter One - Normal

"BUUUZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!"

Claire groaned and smacked her alarm clock off from under the covers. She felt a familiar knot quickly form in her stomach as she realized it was Monday morning and she had school. That meant assignments, teachers, cheerleaders, social awkwardness, and the ever looming fear of exposure. She snuggled into her pillow, wishing she could sleep through the day.

Then she smiled and her eyes popped open.

West.

Ever since she learned the truth about him she felt less alone, less like a freak. He made her feel like she was normal, but special, it was a wonderful belonging feeling she hadn't experienced since she left her other life in Odessa as a Cheerleader when she had friends like Zach.

She hadn't stopped thinking about West all weekend. This was the first time in her life she could remember actually waiting for the weekend to end so she could go to school Monday. He was an excellent distraction from her thoughts about her uncle, Peter, who had been missing since he and Nathan saved New York from that bomb. He was missing and not dead because he can't be dead, Claire knew he absorbed her regeneration ability and could not be killed so she refused to let him go.

Lately with all of the saving the world stuff, Claire had become a strong believer in destiny. Everything that happens must happen for a reason. At first she was miserable having to go to a new school, hiding herself from everyone, not letting anyone get close enough to know her, to be a friend. Until she met West, and he found out about her on his own, on accident, and then she found out about him, that he could fly. He liked her and they were the same and now they had each other. Only destiny could have led them to each other.

Claire bounded down the stairs after putting her hair down in loose messy curls and deciding on a white skirt and baby blue tank top with sandals to match. Her dad was sitting their in his work uniform eating toast and having coffee over the paper. Her mother was bringing a fruit salad to the table and Lyle was no where in sight, probably still getting dressed, which would make them late again a usual.

After a quick breakfast with her family, Claire, Lyle and her father climbed in his car and headed towards her school. The drive was quiet until they dropped her little brother off at his middle school. Claire kept her mouth shut hoping to avoid small talk that would inevitably lead to her father's routine questionnaire about her personal life.

"So how's school been?"

"Fine dad." Claire put on a fake smile to match her fake response like she did every time her dad asked her about school.

"I know it's hard trying to not stand out, not get involved, or get close to anyone but you have to understand it would be putting your life at risk if it were any other way." He raised an eyebrow and stared at his daughter from the corner of his eye beneath his horned rimmed glasses, attempting to read her expression.

Claire continued her façade, "Dad, I know. It's the way it has to be." Claire clenched her jaw and tried hard not to roll her eyes, if it were up to her father she would be locked in the basement safe from all the people, she thought.

When they reached Costa Verde High School, Claire immediately started scanning the crown of students for West. She bid her father brisk goodbye and tried to open the car door but it stayed locked. She turned to her father, he was staring at her intently.

"Looking for someone?" He asked casually, but continued studying her expression. Claire hoped she hid her shock well enough.

"No dad. Who would I be looking for?" She ended with a smile to cover her anxiety. Did he suspect something? Does he know about West?

Her father shrugged. "Well I'm going to be working late tonight again so I won't be able to pick you up, so give your mother a call went you get out I don't want you walking home."

"Sure."

He smiled and leaned over planting a kiss on Claire's cheek and unlocked the doors. "Love you Clairebear."

"Love you too dad." She grabbed her side bag carrying her books and jumped out of the car before her dad had a chance to grill her any longer. He was acting stranger than normal.

She looked back to make sure her father wasn't spying on her from across the street, which wouldn't surprise her, and saw him drive off. She couldn't help feel bad for him, going to a job he hates everyday, and he did it for her, to keep her safe, and what did she do to repay him? Lie and sneak around behind his back. West knows her secret and her father has no idea, he doesn't even think she has a friend to her name. Deceiving her father felt wrong, but its not like he tells her everything, he might have done horrible things while working at that company that he'd never tell her about. Horrible things to West. She thought back to what West told her on the beach, about being taken and getting that scar on his neck and only remembering the man with the horned rimmed glasses. But it couldn't be her father, he would never do something like that. He wouldn't hurt West, just because of his abilities. He wouldn't do the very thing to West that he was protecting Claire from. It didn't make any sense but it scared her all the same. She couldn't ever let the two of them meet. She didn't want a repeat of what her father did to Zach, erasing his memories of her and who knows what else.

She looked around at the groups of students for a sign of him. She wondered how West handled his own secret at school, with friends, with his parents. Did they know he could fly? Did anyone? He certainly wasn't as paranoid about detection as her father, he openly uses his ability… She thought back to the moment at school when he picked her up and flew them off campus, without any hesitation or thought to who could've been watching. She wished she had that courage, but at the same time she wished West would be more cautious, didn't he realize the dangers they'd face if they were exposed? Sometimes it seemed like he didn't care at all, for instance pulling that flying stunt was too dangerous despite the fact that it did earn her a place on the cheerleading squad, which she deserved anyways!

Claire entered the doors to her high school and headed towards her locker past the chattering students in the halls. She reached her locker and entered her combination. She swapped out books she had in her bag with books she needed from her locker, when one tumbled to the floor beside her. She finished putting away the ones in her arms before bending down to retrieve the fallen book, but it was gone.

She spun around and saw a pair of black basketball shoes, she looked up at a tall, thick, redheaded jock (she figured). He stood just a few feet away studying a familiar looking book in his hands. "Activating Evolution? This isn't required reading is it?" He smirked.

When she realized what book he had she immediately reached for it but he held it away from her. He started to read the back cover out load, "_Activating Evolution_ details Dr. Suresh's theories regarding the emergence of humans with extraordinary new genetic abilities…" He gave her an odd look, smirking.

Claire looked around expecting to see every student in the hall staring at them, but no one seemed to pay them any mind.

He continued, "...and includes references to several of the abilities which Suresh predicted individuals would evolve to possess, including rapid tissue regeneration, teleportation, telepathy, and levitation." The redheaded boy raised an eyebrow at her.

"Give that back!" She growled and reached for it once more, missing. The boy just smiled when she moved closer to him, he looked her up and down pausing in all the wrong places. Claire felt heat rising in her cheeks. When someone called her name she looked and found West at her side. Oh no, now he'll see how careless she was with his book, letting it stray into the hands of this jerk. He immediately saw the distress in her face, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." West smiled at her in a comforting sort of way that made her feel at ease then looked to the other boy, his eyes falling on the book in his hands.

"What are you doing with that?" West said, quickly grabbing the book out of the boy's hands.

"Mind your own business, besides it was on the floor." The boy scoffed, giving West the stink eye.

"It fell when I was putting books in my locker." Claire said in her own defense to West, and hoped he wouldn't be angry. She didn't want him to think she was careless with his things, or careless with his secret.

"It's okay. Claire this is Ron. Ron, Claire. But it seems you've already met."

"Hardly." Claire mumbled, closing her locker and picking her bag up off the floor.

"Well Claire and I have to go work on this Bio assignment so see ya." West tugged on her arm and guided her away from a puzzled looking Ron.

"Which Bio assignment would that be?" Claire asked slightly worried, she hadn't done any biology homework because she hadn't thought they had any assigned. This is just what she needed, for the teacher to call her out in front of everyone for not turning in homework, way to blend in Claire.

"There isn't one. I just wanted to get you away from Ron. He tends to prey on pretty new girls."

Claire smiled at the compliment, "Really? Is he dangerous?" She played along.

"Very. But don't worry I'll keep you safe." He said and slipped his hand into Claire's. She couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"So have you finished Suresh's book yet or have you just been using it as a step to reach your locker?" He asked.

"Hey!" Claire swatted his stomach playfully. "I'm not that short, I can reach lockers." Her smile faded, "And I'm really sorry about dropping it like that, anyone could have picked it up and-"

"Hey it's okay, no worries. It's just a book." West intertwined his fingers in hers, then looked at her with his big brown eyes. "So I was wondering…"

"You were wondering…" Claire smiled at him and squeezed his hand. This made the butterflies in his stomach worse.

"…if you wanted to hang out after school. Maybe go grab a bite to eat…" He lowered his voice to a whisper, "take a quick fly 'round town?" He looked at her hopefully, as if she would say no.

"I'd love too." Her grin grew wider and West couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, just when her expression fell.

"But I can't, I told you I'm not allowed to date, my dad is so-" She remembered what he told her in the car that morning, that he would be working late tonight and wouldn't be there to pick her up. "- is so not going to be around later so scratch that, I can."

"Great, I'll meet you outside your last class, what is that calculus?"

"Yes." Claire gave him a strange look. "How do you know my class schedule?"

"So I followed you for a little while before we actually met." He tried to make it sound less creepy than it was.

"I don't know if I should be flattered or freaked out." Claire smirked, watching him squirm.

West grimaced, "I'm not a stalker." He said quickly.

"No, you're my stalker." Claire teased, but West looked so embarrassed she started to feel bad. West shuffled his feet and played with the hanging straps from his backpack.

"I just, I don't know why but I was drawn to you. I knew you were different, and… I felt like… like we sort of belonged together. It was a little weird." He looked up bashfully, gauging her reaction hoping she wouldn't turn and run away. She watched him intently, hanging on his every word. "And then after I saw what you could do that night, I knew. I knew you were special like me, and I knew we were destined to meet. It's just this feeling. Kinda strange really…." Claire looked a little stunned. "Do you-? You probably don't-"

"I do." She cut him off, snapping out of her daze. "I felt it too. But I never thought I'd find someone else like me here. I felt so alone here. But then you found me and it all changed." Claire had to stop herself, she was getting way too mushy.

West smiled down at Claire then leaned forward, catching her lips with his. Claire kissed him back, running her hands up his shoulders, then pulled away. Public Displays of affection don't exactly help her 'lay low', she looked around to see that no one was watching.

"Something wrong?" West looked worried.

"No it's just… If a teacher saw us, they could call my parents. And my dad would freak, he'd probably make my family pack up and move to a different state. And I've just started to get use to this place." Claire finished and smiled at West, upon seeing him relax. Claire couldn't tell him what her father really might do. She hadn't told West why they moved because that might lead to explaining Zach and how her father erased his memories.

West didn't understand Claire's dad or why he seemed to get inside Claire's head and frighten her out of living, making her keep to herself like a hermit, and hide everything about her. West hadn't met her father but everything Claire told him made West think her dad was strange. Why wouldn't he let her date? She was 16! And he didn't want her to join the cheerleading squad… That one made more sense than the dating thing. West also wondered why he packed up his family and moved them here, Claire wasn't very clear about that, all she said was it was because of a job, but he works at a Kinko's or something, it didn't add up.

"I don't want you to have to worry about keeping another secret, I know how hard it can be, I'll understand if you don't want to risk it." He words laced with disappointment.

"No, really West, I'm looking forward to our date." Claire was shocked he could think that,"Some secrets are worth the risk."

A cocky grin spread across West's face.

"What?" She eyed him curiously.

"So it _is_ a date." He raised an eyebrow.

Claire rolled her eyes and walked off towards her next class.

A/N: Second chapter is in the works. Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated, so are ideas! Thnx.


	2. Chapter 2 The Date

New Life

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it totally motivates me to write, especially the constructive criticism, it really helps!

Chapter Two - Date

"So your dad's pretty strict… What's his deal?" West asked during the car ride to his house.

Claire was caught off guard, she hadn't been expecting that. "Um, he's just really over-protective because of my…" she didn't know what to call it, "rapid tissue regeneration thingie."

"Oh, I understand, my mom's always getting on me about flying during the day but I keep telling her that if I fly high enough I look like a really long bird."

Claire laughed, "What about you're dad?"

West's expression changed, "He left when… he left my mom and I when I was only 6. But he only lived a few blocks away with his new wife, they had a daughter and then when I was 12, about 4 years ago, they packed up and moved away."

"I'm sorry." Claire said quietly, she wasn't expecting that. She thought about whether she should change the subject but she had to know sooner or later. "Do you still see him?"

"No." He paused to take a deep breath and Claire began regretting her question. "I haven't heard from him or my half sister." West got a distant look in his eye. "Molly. She was only 6 when they disappeared. We haven't been able to find them. My mother and I have tried everything; but I know she's still out there somewhere and I'm gonna find her."

Claire could only imagine what that would have done to his family, she shook her head sadly. She looked at West and could tell he was struggling with his emotions.

"I've never told anyone that before." He mumbled.

Claire reached over and ran her hand through his hair, down the back of his neck, and then took his hand and held it in her lap.

…

Claire watched the passing scenery as they drove; she noticed the houses getting larger, with extra garages and tall fences surrounding perfectly manicured lawns. She began to imagine what West's house would look like. Judging by the neighborhood, it would probably be very fancy and remind her of her grandmother's house in New York.

West pulled into the driveway in front of a 2-story Victorian manor that seemed huge to Claire, but in comparison to the houses in the surrounding neighborhood, it was modest.

West led her to the front door, unlocked it and ushered her inside, through the foyer and into the living area. His home was beautiful but not overdone; there were flowers on every table and pictures and paintings on all the walls. But there were also a few sweatshirts and coats just lying around on the sofa, and school books and papers strewn across the desk. Unlike her grandmother's, it was a home and not a display of wealth. It made Claire feel more at ease here than she ever would at her grandmother's where she was always worried she'd mess up the utter perfection and cleanliness.

"Sorry for the mess…" He said grabbing the few articles of clothing that clearly belonged to him and putting them in a pile on a chair.

Claire had to stop her self from rolling her eyes; his house was by far _not_ messy, "Don't be silly, your house is beautiful."

"One nice thing my dad left us before he split." He gave her a small smile but Claire could see hurt in his eyes, "Though I wish he'd left my sister instead." He let a sad chuckle escape his lips.

Claire moved over to him, stopped him from what he was doing and wrapped her arms around his back and laid her head on his chest. She studied the pictures above his fireplace, she recognized most of them to be of a younger West. She saw a few taken of him with a very pretty older woman with brown hair that must be his mother, she thought. There were only two of West with a younger girl, with brown hair and big brown eyes just like his.

"Is that her? Is that Molly?" Claire asked softly from his arms although she already knew the answer. West looked down at her and followed her line of site to the pictures of himself and his little sister on his lap. West's mind quickly went back to that day at the park, it was one of the last times his whole family was together, he felt his eyes begin to burn so he quickly pushed the thought out of his mind.

"Yea. Let me show you the rest of the house." He said and placed a short kiss on the top of Claire's head before grabbing her hand and giving her a tour of his house.

After the tour West brought Claire back to his kitchen, "So you hungry yet? I was thinking we could go get pizza, or I could make you some, or what ever you'd like."

"You can cook?" She raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Of coarse!" He said matter-of-factly, "After my dad left and my mom had to get a job and I sorta had to take care of myself, my mom made sure I learned how to cook."

Claire smiled, she liked learning all these new things about him, "Okay then let's make a pizza." Claire moved over to his fridge and opened it up and began to pull out ingredients.

West laughed, he liked that she felt comfortable enough to dig through his refrigerator and that she offered to help him cook. He watched her until she caught him, he just smiled and began hunting for the pizza pan.

…

After their adventures into cooking, they watched some TV until it got dark enough for a fly. West took her all around town, to all his favorite views that over looked Costa Verde, or the ocean.

They stopped at a bluff high above the town and sat together in the grass watching all the lights below them.

Claire looked up and saw a bunch of red fruit in the tree above them. "Are those apples?"

West looked up and saw the red fruit in question, he couldn't tell from where he was sitting. He looked hard at one of them and wished it was in his hands already so he could inspect it without getting up and climbing the tree.

Just as this thought entered his mind the apple he'd been watching fell and hit him in the hand. West looked at it curiously, it was indeed an apple, and then back up at the tree. Had he just willed that apple to him? No impossible, he could fly, not move things.

"Yep, apples." Claire answered her own question as she picked the fruit up off the ground by West's hand.

West kept staring at the apple in Claire's hand, he imagined it floating over to him and landing in his hand.

"Oh my god! Did you just do that?" West looked back to a stunned and somewhat frightened looking Claire.

"What are you talk-" He stopped when he felt the apple back in his hand.

"You just levitated that apple out of my hand!"

West stared at it in disbelief.

"Try it again!" She said, quickly snatching the apple away from West and holding it in her palm in front of them.

"How?" He looked at her.

"Just do what ever you did the first time."

West concentrated hard on the apple and pictured it floating up and towards him. West's eyes widened when it actually began to hover then move towards him. He shook his head in disbelief.

"What does this mean?" West said as he caught the apple in his hand.

Claire looked just as amazed as him, "You can make things fly?"

West processed the idea then had a thought, "Let me try you."

"What!? No!"

"C'mon please, it's not like you can fall, I'll just catch you…"

Claire looked at him like he was crazy but realized she had complete faith in him, "Fine."

West stood up then took Claire's hand and helped her up. He stood directly in front of her and took a deep breath before beginning to concentrate. He pictured Claire floating in the air in front of him for a long time, then looked down at her feet, which were still planted in the grass. So he closed his eyes and tried again.

She didn't move.

"Hmmm. Close your eyes maybe. And picture your self light as air, and floating." West told her.

Claire gave him a questioning look before closing her eyes and imagining herself floating. She began to feel stupid with her eyes still closed and her feet still on the ground when she felt lips on hers. She immediately reached her hands up and around West's neck and into his brown hair, pulling him closer. She felt his arms in circle her waist and as she pulled back she realized they were several feet above the ground, they were both floating. She instinctively tightened her grip on West to make sure she wouldn't fall, but she swore she felt herself light as air.

"You did it." She smiled and West kissed her again.

…

Claire knew it was getting late and her mother would probably be wondering where she was but she didn't want the date to end. This had been a perfect day.

When West flew her into her backyard and kissed her goodnight, he didn't notice the pair of eyes watching them through horned rimmed glasses.

And when Claire entered her home, on cloud nine with her mind still on West and the goodnight kiss he had just given her, she didn't notice those same pair of eyes staring at her from behind horned rimmed glasses.

Not until he spoke.

"Claire I forbid you to ever see that boy again." His voice was even, but filled with tension.

Claire felt like she was just had the wind knocked out of her chest, she couldn't breathe. Her worst nightmare was coming true. Her father had just caught them. What could she say? What could she do?

"Dad." It came out in a whisper as her eyes started to burn with tears.

She had to convince him! He didn't understand! He didn't know West. She'd tell him about West's ability, then he wouldn't have to worry about West exposing her.

Horn rimmed glasses.

But then she would have to worry about her dad exposing West. She didn't know if he'd do anything but she couldn't risk loosing West permanently. Sometimes she felt she had no idea what kind of man her father was. She knew he'd do anything to keep his family safe but… at what cost?

"You're grounded. From now on you will be coming straight home after school and I will be driving you everyday from cheerleading practice. Let me know your schedule as soon as you get it." Noah's face was red as he glared at his daughter.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as realization hit, she would have no life, no West. Her father enjoyed her misery.

"I hate you." She growled and she meant it. She hadn't ever said that to her father but at that moment she didn't care about his feelings, she felt it so she said it. Claire stomped up the stairs quickly, climbing two steps at a time. She stormed into her room and slammed the door behind her as hard as she could and jumped when it was louder than expected. She wanted to punch it shut, she wanted to punch the wall, to break all the fingers in her hand, but that would be painful for a few moments while her bones mended themselves and then there would be a hole in the wall she'd have to explain and probably pay to fix.

Claire threw herself on her bed, ready to throw a tantrum like small children did at the grocery store when they couldn't have their favorite candy bar. But she was emotionally exhausted and broken.

Tears poured down her rosy cheeks, she was so frustrated with her life, with her situation and this made everything worse. Life was just getting bearable after loosing Peter and now her father was taking West away from her. He's heartless! Did he expect her to be alone for the rest of her life? Because she was alone. She had two fathers she couldn't talk to, an oblivious mother, an annoying little brother, a missing uncle, an evil grandma, no friends, a squad that hates her and now a boyfriend she couldn't date.

Her body racked with each sob as she clung to her pillow, cursing her father in her head. Then she heard a gentle tapping at her window, she turned and her breath caught in her throat. She saw West hovering outside. When he saw her tear stained cheeks, worry shown in his features.

Claire moved from the bed to the window, wiping the tears away, and pushed her window open. She took a step back and tried to compose herself but seeing him just reminded her of what she would be missing.

West didn't say anything; he quietly hovered into her room and then took her in his arms letting her cry softly against his chest. He was utterly confused, he had no clue what could have transpired in the few minutes since he flew her home that would upset her so much. He'd only gotten two blocks before he realized he'd left his cell phone in her purse where she kept it for safe keeping during flight. And now she was clearly very upset about something. Was it their date? Maybe she had an awful time and it only hit her after she returned home and realized she missed her favorite TV show. But that wouldn't explain the hugging now.

He rubbed her back and hoped this would calm her down, he really didn't have any experience with situations like this and he had no clue what to say. They remained locked in embrace like that for what felt like forever until they were jerked back to reality when a loud 'knock knock' came from Claire's bedroom door. Followed by,

"Claire-bear?" It was her father's voice, Claire cringed.

West raised an eye brow at the nickname. Claire looked panic stricken like she might faint. She pulled away from West, mouthed 'Hide!' to him, and then turned to face the door just as it began to open. She couldn't think of anything to do or say, her father was about to catch West in her room, she prayed he wouldn't kill him or erase his memories.

Her father popped his head around the cracked door, "Hey, can we talk now that we've both calmed down." Claire just stood there frozen, waiting for the sh!t to hit the fan.

Noah moved past her and sat down on her bed behind her. Claire slowly turned and didn't see West any where in sight, she tried to keep her eyes from bulging out of their sockets; he must be the best hider ever, she thought.

Noah patted the spot next to him on her bed and she slowly joined him, "Look I just wanted to say I understand what it's like to be 16 and want to date but you're different Claire, you're special. And that means being careful, and having a boyfriend is dangerous, what if he found out about you?"

"So what if he did?! Am I supposed to hide who I am for the rest of my life?"

"Claire! Tell me he doesn't know!" He father stood up, his face turning several shades redder.

"He doesn't!" Claire said quickly and forcefully, hoping it would be enough to convince her father she was being honest.

Her father calmed down a bit, "You won't have to hide forever, someday things will be different but until then this is the way has to be. I'm sorry and hope you can see that I'm doing this to keep you safe because I love you."

Claire stared blankly at him, expressionless, trying her best to fight back more tears.

"Good night hun." He said and exited her room.

Claire let a sigh of relief escape her lips as she began to look around for West, she first checked under the bed then moved towards the closet, she shook her head in disbelief. Where could he have hid? Maybe he had another power he wasn't telling her about, like invisibility. She was just about to move over to the window to see if she could see him flying away when he heard his voice.

"Up here." He said. Claire looked up and West had his back against the ceiling, he slowly let himself float back towards the ground in front of Claire until his feet gently touched the carpet.

West looked nervous, he spoke quietly, "So how did he find out?" Claire looked so sad, eyes red from crying, all he wanted to do was pull her into a big hug, but reminded himself he probably wouldn't be allowed to do that anymore.

"He saw us." She whispered, looking deep into his eyes as if she would never be able to do it again.

West opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. He wanted to tell her to forget what her father said and to just be with him, but he knew they couldn't be together behind her father's back.

"You should go." She spoke with her brain because that was the last thing her heart wanted. But with the chance her father could come back in and erase West's memories of her, she knew he had to go.

"So this is it then?"

Claire didn't want to think about the answer to that question, but she did and before she realized it, more tears began to pour out of her eyes, all she could do was nod knowing she only choke on her words.

Realization hit West, he looked down and began studying her blue carpet. He couldn't stand to watch Claire cry. He felt helpless, there was nothing he could do to change the situation. He nodded sadly and took a step backwards towards the window.

"Okay… I… It'll be okay Claire." He only got another step closer to the window before Claire threw herself into his arms and clung to him like her life depended on it.

She kissed him and it tasted salty. He ran his fingers through her hair and she pulled his torso closer to hers. They kissed desperately not wanting it to end but knowing it had to.

They broke apart and Claire stood there with her eyes still closed, still thinking about his lips on hers. She felt him kiss her forehead and she smiled.

When she opened her eyes he was gone. The curtains next to her open window fluttered in the breeze, and all she was left with was the faint smell of his cologne.


End file.
